With Brian Cushing gone, locking up linebacker Benardrick McKinney was a prime precedence for the Houston Texans this offseason.

A deal has reportedly been struck.

NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that McKinney and the Texans got here to phrases on a five-year, $50 million extension.

Whereas J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney seize the headlines, McKinney holds his personal in the midst of the sector.

The 6’Four”, 260-pound linebacker has grow to be a drive in Houston protection since being taken within the second spherical of the 2015 NFL draft. He had a breakout season in his second 12 months within the league, recording 129 mixed tackles, 5 sacks and one compelled fumble. That efficiency was adequate to earn him second-team All-Professional honors.

Final 12 months, he had 95 mixed tackles, three sacks, one go defended and one compelled fumble.

Houston misplaced its all-time-leading tackler when it launched Cushing earlier this offseason. Nevertheless, the staff believes McKinney is able to lead the linebacking corps. Texans normal supervisor Brian Gaine mentioned as a lot in regards to the 25-year-old linebacker again in Might, by way of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:

“Management and manufacturing. No. 2, he performs a core place. In case you’re enjoying the Mike linebacker position, you’re commanding the huddle, you’re main the huddle. Manufacturing issues, but in addition the truth that we really feel like he’s constructed to final. We really feel that he meets the peak, weight, velocity parameters that we wish within the position, however he’s now the man that leads the huddle.

“That’s an enormous gap to fill now with Brian Cushing gone. So, we expect large issues from a management standpoint and maybe now he’s prepared to do this.”

Now that the enterprise facet of issues is taken care of, McKinney can give attention to soccer and serving to his staff get again to the postseason after it endured a Four-12 marketing campaign in 2017.